Lifting jack



Aug. 27, 1940. l 1 G. EHRKE 2,213,084

LIFTING JACK Filed March 6, 1940 Patented Aug; 27, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE LIF'HNG JACK Louis G. Ehrke, Winona, Application March 6, 1940, serial No. 322,530 4 claims. -(o1. 2521-123) My invention relates to lifting jacks and, more The object of this invention is to provide an extremely simple and highly efficient lifting jack having a part constructed and arranged to engage the rim of an automobile wheel directly above the axis thereof and to positively interlock with the wheel and thereby prevent the jack from slipping out of engagement with the Wheel, andalso to hold a lifted wheel from rolling relative to the jack.

Other objects of the invention will be apparent from the following description in connection with the accompanying drawing.

To the above end, generally stated, the invention consists of the novel construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and defined in the claims.

In the accompanying drawing, which illusright-hand -wheel vto which the improved lifting jack is applied;

Fig. 2 is a view in elevation showing the improved lifting jack and wheel, on an enlarged scale, withv some parts broken away, with other parts sectioned on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1 and with still other parts shown by means of broken lines;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary outside elevation of the wheel shown in Fig. 2 with the lifting jack re' moved, with the exception of its rim-engaging members;

Fig. 4 is a yView partly in plan and partly in section taken on the line 4 4 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is `a fragmentary View showing the ball and socket connection between the rim-engaging member of the lifting jack and the movable member of said jack;

Fig. 6 is an outside elevation of the rim-engaging member of the lifting .jack with a part thereof broken away and sectioned;

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary outside elevation of the ratchet tooth-equipped columns of the lifting jack;

Fig. 8 is a sectional view taken on the line Il-8 of Fig. 7;

Fig. 9 is a sectional view taken on the line 9 9 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 10 is -a side elevation of the wheel-supporting stand;

Fig. 11 is a front elevation of the wheel-supporting stand; and

Fig. 12 is a View partly in plan and partly in section taken on-the line |2-I2 of Figs. 10 and 11.

The numeral I3 indicates an automobile, as an entirety, with the exception of its rear righthand wheel I4. 0f the parts of the wheel I4, it is important to note the tire I5, the rim I6, the intermediate annular section I'I having short spokes I8 rigidly secured to the rim I6, the spaces between the spokes I8 being designated by the numeral I9, and the brake drum 2-0.

The lifting jack illustrated includes a hollowv base 2l, having a plurality of ground-engaging calks 22, a relatively stationary member in the form of a hollow column or bar 23 having in its face ratchet teeth 24, and a relatively movable member or head 25 slidably mounted on the column 23.

The column 23, at its lower ends rests on the base 2| and is provided with a depending s'tud 2B which extends through a central hole in said base. A friction ball 21 on the stud 26 engages the'base 2|, at its .under side, and releasably holds the base 2 I on the column 23.

The column 23, in cross-section, has substantially parallel front and rear faces and rearwardly converging sides. Formed in the head 25 is a vertical passageway through which the column 23 extends and the head 25, at said passageway, closely engages the column 23 and is held by said column against turning movement about the axis thereof, but with freedom for longitudinal sliding movement on said column. Said head 25 comprises a front section and a rear section and the vertical joint therebetween is at the transverse center of the passageway in said head. Nut-equipped bolts 28 extending through outturned flanges 29 on the sections of the head 25 detachably but rigidly connect said sections.

The head 25 is raised step by step on the column 23 by a spring-pressed dog 30 and the co-operating ratchet teeth 24 on said column. This dog 30 is eccentrically pivoted to a hand lever 3| which, in turn, extends into the head 25 and is pivoted thereto. A spring-pressed lock dog 32 also (zo-operating with the ratchet teeth 24 is pivoted to the hea'd 25 and holds said head from sliding downwardly on the column 23, While the dog 30 is being moved by the lever 3l from one of the ratchet teeth 261 to another. The release for the dogs 30 and 32, which permits the tion. i

The rear member of the head 25 is, as shown,

in the form of a relatively long beak on which a rim-engaging member 36 is removably supported by a ball and socket joint 31. Said rimengaglng member 36 is in the form of a plate .that snugly lits the contour of the rim I6 both radially and circumferentially. 'I'he ball member 38 of the joint 31 is formed as an integral part of the head 25 at the outer end of its beak and on the upper face thereof. The socket member 39 of the joint 31 is in the form of a lug on the outer surface of the rim-engaging member 36.

On the lower edge of the rim-engaging member 36 and integral therewith is a tongue 40, the outer end of which is bent to form a hook 4I. This tongue 40 is of such width that it may be inserted endwise through any one of the spaces I9 between the spokes I8 and positions its hook 4I in interlocking engagement with the respective edge of the Wheel section I1, see Fig. 2.

Obviously, with the hook A4I interlocked with the Wheel I4, as shown in Fig. 2, the rim-engaglng plate 3B cannot slip on the rim I6 during lifting of the wheel I4 by the jack. As the member 36 engages the rim I 6 at its highest point, the wheel I4 cannot roll during lifting thereof. To adapt the lifting jack for use in connection with any one of the several makes of automobile wheels, it is only necessary to provide the same with a rim-engaging member that fits the rim of the respective wheel, and has a tongue that may be inserted through one of the apertures provided to receive the attaching member of a traction lug or chain and with its hook constructed and arranged to interlock with a part of the wheel on the opposite side thereof from the rim-engaging member.

From the above description, it is evident that the improved lifting jack may be applied to a Wheel by an operator While he is working entirely outwardly of an automobile and While standing in an erectl position, Without danger of soiling his clothing.

After a wheel having a deflated tire has been lifted high enough above the ground to permit its removal from the automobile, and a wheel having a fully inflated tire has been substituted therefor, a stand 42 is placed under the brake drum 20, as shown by broken lines in Fig. 2, to support the wheel in its raised position. Next, the lifting jack is moved from the Wheel to permit said wheel to be removed and another wheel substituted therefor. After the substitute wheel has been secured in position, the lifting jack is again applied to the wheel and said wheel lifted suillciently to permit the removal of the stand 42 and then the wheel is lowered onto the ground.

The upper end of the stand 42 is made concave to receive a brake drum and prevent the same from rolling therefrom. Said stand 42 is also provided with an upstandlng stop 43 arranged to be engaged by the brake drum and to position the stand 42 thereunder.

The stand 42 is provided with a long jointed handle 44 by which said stand may be slid onto the ground to position the same under a brake drum or to remove the same therefrom.

The drawing illustrates a commercial form of the invention, but it will,be understood that the same is capable of certain modifications as to details of construction, arrangement and combination of parts within the scope of the invention herein disclosed.

What I claim is:

1. A jack for lifting an automobile wheel having a tire-retaining rim and also having a transverse aperture in its body close to the rim, said aperture being arranged to be positioned, by turning the wheel about its axis, vertically above said axis, said jack including a relatively stationary member, a relatively movable member and means for raising said movable member relative to said stationary member, said movable member having a rim-engaging member constructed and arranged to engage the wheel rim above said aperture, said rim-engaging member having means for locking the same to the wheel to hold said rim-engaging member against relative movement.

2. A jack for lifting an automobile wheel having a tire-retaining rim and also having a transverse aperture in its body close to the rim, said aperture being arranged to be positioned, by turning the wheel about its axis, vertically above said axis, said jack including a relatively stationary member, a relatively movable member and means for raising said movable member relative to said stationary member, said movable member having a rim-engaging member constructed and arranged to engage the wheel rim above said aperture, said rim-engaging member having a tongue constructed and arranged to be inserted through said aperture and to be interlocked with the wheel on the opposite side thereof from the rim-engaging member and thereby hold the rim-engaging member against movement relative to the rim.

3. The structure defined in claim 2 in which the rim-engaging member extends substantially from the outer edge of the rim inwardly and closely follows the transverse contour of the rim, in which the tongue is on the inner end of the rim-engaging member, and in which the rimengaging member is connected to the movable jack member substantially at its center.

4. The structure defined in claim,2 further including a ball and socket joint connecting the rim-engaging member substantially at its center to the movable jack member.

LOUIS G. EHRKE. 

